Taxon name
Bienertia cycloptera
Bunge
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Bienertia cycloptera
Bunge
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Near Threatened
Qualifying criteria (if given)
B1ab(iii)
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
Bienertia cycloptera occurs from the extreme west of the Arabian Gulf coast, almost to the most northern point of this coastline. Its estimated EOO is 28,675 km<sup>2</sup> and it is considered to be severely fragmented due to the widely scattered localities in which it occurs. Within its range, it is threatened by development of coastal regions which is causing a continuing decline in the extent and quality of available habitat for this species. Therefore, it is currently assessed as Near Threatened.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Within the UAE, this species is known from along the Arabian Gulf coast (Jongbloed et al. 2003), including Jebel Ali. The estimated EOO of this species is 28,675 km<sup>2</sup>. Globally, the native range of this species spans from south-east European Russia to central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
It is an annual species which can grow up to 1.0 m (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Böer and Saenger 2006). This species has almost cylindrical leaves, a berry like fruit and small yellow flowers which can be seen between October and December (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It grows within saline sand substrate and can found in coastal sabkhas and salt marshes (Jongbloed et al. 2003).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
This species is threatened by the ongoing coastal development occurring the Arabian Gulf coast where it is found.
History
Coastal development within the UAE has been increasing in frequency and intensity since 1996, reducing the extent and quality of available habitat for this species.
Publication
Allen, D.J., Westrip, J.R.S., Puttick, A., Harding, K.A., Hilton-Taylor, C. and Ali, H. 2021. UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants. Technical Report. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates, Dubai.
